Young Justice Soundtrack
by AlbinoLungs
Summary: One-shots inspired by a series of songs. Mostly about love and how hard it is.
1. Love the Way You Lie

**Title: **Love the Way You Lie (Inspired by the song by Eminem and Rihanna)

**Characters:** Connor Kent (Superboy)/M'gann M'orzz (Miss. Martian)

**Story: **Set just after the Circus mission, M'gann notices Connor's growth in rage in the worst way possible...

**WARNING: **Characters are WAY OOC. I'm going to go ahead and apologize right now to the SuperMartian fans and say that this was written out of impulse. PLEASE FORGIVE ME, WORLD!

* * *

It's not her fault.

She's only been on earth for a few months now. She doesn't understand how earth relationships should work. All of her knowledge is from those earth TV shows she used to watch as a kid. They seemed so happy - nothing ever went wrong.

Maybe she was mistaken. Maybe that was all a lie - an illusion. Maybe, just maybe, this is how it's suppose to work.

But she knows for sure that it isn't his fault. He was just angry - he didn't mean it, he said so. He said so when he apologized to her for what he did to her. And he meant his apology to.

She just shouldn't have been in his way.

Maybe she _did_ deserve it. She didn't know what she did, but maybe she did something that made him angrier. Besides, she could have used her powers to protect herself.

But she didn't want to hurt him - she loves him.

He pulls her closer and buries his face deeper into her hair and closer into her neck as they spoon together in her bed. She can feel his breath float down her spine, and all she wants to do is melt away from him and cry in another galaxy.

But that might just make him angry again.

She bites her lip and tries to fall asleep. She'll morph away the bruises on her arm in the morning.

No one will see it, but she'll still feel the sting. Maybe she can say that it was from the mission. Yeah, everyone will buy that.

Although, the mission was weeks ago. And training session aren't that strenuous.

How did he get so angry? They were just talking. Ever since that circus mission, he's anger has gotten worse. What did she say? Obviously something that hurt his feelings.

Should she tell someone what he did? No. They would get mad at him. And then he might get mad at her…

But he wouldn't do it again. He said he wouldn't.

* * *

*****THIS WAS WRITTEN OUT OF ARTISTIC VISION! I can understand if some of the SuperMartian fans are pissed, I STILL BEG FOR YOUR ****FORGIVENESS, BUT I DIDN'T DO IT! MY FINGERS DID!**

**I'd still like to hear your thoughts on the story. Please REIVEW and tell me if you think I captured theme correctly or tell me how my writing style is. **


	2. Give Me Novacain

**A/N: This story has been re-uploaded due to threats from Critics United.**

**Anyway, this story is a series of one-shots inspired by a series of songs. The song will be the title of each story. I encourage you to listen to the song (I had the lyrics ****written in, but that's what got my in trouble).**

**Each story follows the main show, but stands independently from the other chapters. No of these one-shots will be continued. However, I give my ****permission for someone to take one of my one-shots and make their own story with it. Just give me a little credit ;). **

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

**Title: **Give Me Novacain (Inspired by the song by Green Day)

**Characters:** Richard Grayson (Robin)/Artemis Crock (Artemis)

**Story: **Set just before Artemis and Wally depart from the team, both Artemis and Dick have been feeling a mix of different emotions. On top of that, sudden hidden feelings have begun to rise.

* * *

The ice-pack was cold against Dick fingers. Even with his gloves on, the freezing temperature of the pack grazed the tips the appendages on his hand. As he carried it over to the common room, Dick stopped to glance over the kitchen table.

On it was a pile of scattered recruitment forms for the teams possible new members. He had spent the majority of the week pouring over them with the eight other members of the team, and had gotten nowhere with narrowing down the list.

As he scanned over the pile of loose papers, the Boy Wonder let out a long sigh - everything was changing for Dick.

His views, the team, everything.

Dick had just turned 16, and oh boy - did it show. He was taller, stronger, smarter (if possible), and wiser.

Along with his physical change, he adapted his 'Robin' costume slightly - instead of short sleeves for his red shirt, he made them longer to meet the beginning of his wrist. He also changed his domino mask to give it an original shape, thinking it showed the maturity he gained over the past few years.

Along with his mental change, he was beginning to view Bruce differently.

He couldn't quite put his finer on it, but something about the way Batman acted unnerved him. In metaphorical terms, Dick was starting to question his 'God'. Ever since the 'Train to Fail' exercise three years ago, he couldn't bring himself to fathom how Batman did what he did - sacrificing himself and others for the greater good was hard on Dick, and he wanted to avoid it if he could. Perhaps the day would come when he had to, but not now if he could help it. The urge to 'not be Batman' was growing on his ever since then.

Lately, Dick had also been feeling as though he was still under appreciated by the Dark Knight. While he had grown in every way possible, Bruce still treated him like the kid he originally adopted. Because of this, Dick and Bruce had been arguing a lot in the past few months. To add to his troubles, Dick was starting to feel second class to the newest member of the 'Bat-fam'. Barbara Gordon - aka Batgirl. He and Barbara had always been close friends. She was one of the first people to figure out his alias, and he welcomed her like a sister when she took up her alias of Batgirl. But she needed a little more training than Dick, so Bruce spent most of his time with her. Now, Dick was never one to be selfish, but it was bothering him to know that she was being given harder missions than him when he was still learning. Of course, he was younger than her when he started, but that didn't change the fact that this slightly annoyed him. He never resented Barbara for it, so Bruce was absorbing most of the blame.

Over all, his relationship with the 'Bat-fam' was just _one_ of the changes in his life. The Team was changing as well. Yes, the original eight (him, Kaldur, Raquel, Zatanna, Conner, M'gann, Wally, and Artemis) still made up most of the team, and Kaldur maintained his position as leader, but Red Arrow had split to find the original Roy Harper, and other additions to the team were made. Barbara and Garfield Logan - aka Beast Boy. Garth had found his was onto the team after his mother past away for reasons that were still unsure to the team. They knew it was Queen Bee who was responsible, but they didn't know how or why. However, adding Garth to the team wasn't too much trouble. Apparently, he had adapted the ability to transform himself into any animal after his blood transfusion with M'gann.

So, the team had made it to a 10-member roster - and it was only getting bigger. Since the team had shown a lot of success, the Justice League (along with the original eight members of the team) starting recruiting other teen heroes; Bumblebee, Wondergirl, and Blue Beetle we just a few that made up the list. Kaldur had also been doing some recruiting in Atlantis, and found that his two close friends - Tula and Garth - had been displaying some promising qualities. Garth still had a little more to improve on, but Tule looked very promising. La'gann had also captured Kaldur's eye, and caused the leader to consider adding La'gann's name to the recruitment list.

Yet, while the team was changing for the better, it was also changing for the worse. Two of Dick's closest friends would be leaving in just a couple of months. Come September, Wally and Artemis would go off to collage, and leave the team behind.

It hurt Dick to see them go. He desperately wanted his friends to stay. But, they had their reasons;

Wally, who has always idolized the Flash, got into the life with no intention of ever leaving it. His super-speed was something that had always made him feel superior and special over the normal people he hung around with. For a man full of pure testosterone, that feeling was pretty important to him.

As for Artemis, she craved action. Even as a young girl, she always wanted to be in the fight. But, at the same time, Artemis never had a crack at a normal lifestyle. From the time she could walk, she trained. Never taking a break. It didn't matter what side she was on, she fought, and fought hard.

And Wally - he decisions is purely based on his will to live. Lately, his power had been giving him trouble. He'd been feeling sick and both Flash's agreed that what gave him his superhuman ability was also starting to hurt him. It's a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo Artemis wouldn't be able to explain off the top off her head. But the second she heard that Wally was hurting, she wanted to do whatever it took to stop it. And that meant for Wally to stop running.

In the end, the idea to leave the team was mutual.

So, arrangements for their retirement were made; they were sent on less and safer missions, their personal things were being moved out of the mountain, and a plaque with their names on it had been hung over the entrance to the west wing (as a going away surprise to the couple).

Dick let out another sigh and tossed the ice-pack to the other hand. The days seemed to pass quicker now that Wally and Artemis were officially leaving. Eventually, he would have to say good-bye to them for good, and he couldn't see how he could ever possibly be ready for that.

"Hey! Bird Brain!" called a husky female voice from the other room. It was both playful, and annoyed. "If you won't let me go home, you can at least bring me that ice-pack you said you were going to get!"

Dick snapped out of his trance and smiled at the sound of Artemis' voice. They were still months away from the inevitable, so Dick figured he'd enjoy as much time as he could with his two departing friends.

Entering the common room, he found Artemis lying across the couch. Her hands were covering a part of her head that had been injured recently, and her legs were stretched out to meet the other end of the couch. When she saw Dick, she sat herself up against the arm-rest, pulled her legs in, and crossed them.

"Here you go, 'Mis," said Dick as he tossed her the ice-pack. Artemis caught it effortlessly in one hand, and slapped it on her head. She arched her back a little, showing how tired she was. Dick flopped down on the other end of the couch - resting his back on the opposite arm-rest, and letting his legs drape over the edge.

Artemis sighed. "I'm going to break that thing," she growled as she adjusted the ice-pack on her forehead.

Dick laughed. "You mean the pole you ran into? I better place it in the witness protection program," he said through a chuckle.

Artemis glared at him. She hated being made fun of when she was injured. "Might as well sign yourself up," she threatened darkly. Dick chuckled again at her empty threat, and let his eyes focus lazily on the clock beside the television. It reads two o'clock in the morning. Dick calculated in his head that they completed their mission fifteen minutes ago as a silence falls between them.

The mission was fairly simple; For the past month, Artemis and Dick had been searching for, and monitoring (once found) a gang of criminals smuggling illegal guns into Gotham and selling them to troubled high schoolers. They'd finally busted them earlier that evening when the gang had met up with their supplier at an abandon warehouse. Dick and Artemis swooped in during the act, and captured all the members of the gang as well as their supplier.

It was an easy capture - however, Artemis had been injured. After the criminals had been capture, Artemis was turning away to confiscate the shipment when she ran into an iron pole that help up the building. It hit her right in the center of her head, and caused her to black out for a few moments. To the archer's displeasure, Dick had actually found the sight hilarious and decided to mock her about it for the rest of the evening. At the same time, Dick was worried that she was suffering from a concussion. So, he hauled her back to the mountain to keep her awake and monitor her vitals. He would have taken her back to her place, but she didn't want her mother to freak out. And taking her to his place was out of the question. Dick had dimmed the lights in the common room (as to not agitate Artemis' sensitives eyes now that her head hurt) and flipped on the television to the favorite channel, static.

Dick checked the clock on the wall again. The other members of the team were in the Congo right now, foiling one of Poison Ivy's schemes to collect rare plant there that contained a deadly poison. Dick and Artemis would have gone, but they were needed in Gotham for the bust that the Dark Knight (or any other member of the League) were too busy to handle. Barbara would have gone, but Batman (to Dick's slight displeasure) wanted her on the harder mission. Plus, the Congo mission was fairly simple to handle, so Dick and Artemis weren't endangering the team by staying behind. As he looked at the clock, Dick figured that the team should be back in the cave in another hour, assuming that everything went smoothly.

After a while of silence, Artemis let her hand fall from her head and pouted jokingly. "My arm is tried," she explained as she feebly tried and lift the ice-pack back to her skull.

Snapping out of his 'clock trance' Dick laughed at her weak attempt to bring the healing tool back to her injury. "Here," he said, grabbing for the ice-pack. She gently tossed it to him, and he scouted down the couch to mold the ice-pack around the slight bump on her skull.

But, out of nowhere, a tension rises.

Both Dick and Artemis have treated the others past and present wounds, and it has never been unpleasant to either of them. They have treated both big and small, gross and normal, inappropriately placed and appropriately placed wounds, but, strangely enough, an awkward silence had then filled the space between them as they both sat uncomfortably still. They didn't know why, but they couldn't bring themselves to get into a comfortable position. To make things worse, both of them had a hard time looking at the other. They tried to look anywhere else but at the person right in-front of them.

Eventually though, Artemis let her eyes fall to the cushions on the coach - a sad expression covered her face. Dick recognized that look; It was the 'I miss Wally' look. It's a look that only appears on her face when either Wally is on a prolonged mission, or when she and Wally have had a fight right before they departed for their own mission and she felt guilty about it.

Dick sighed to himself. While Wally and Artemis had been, and still are, the strongest couple he'd seen in a while, they do have their arguments. When they began as a couple, they didn't often argue very much, and whenever they did, it was over something important. But lately Artemis' and Wally's fights have escalated, and Dick is the only one who knew about it.

Adjusting to a normal life, and the general idea of inevitable retirement, was hard for the two. Things that seemed insignificant to them before was now being argued over immensely, and they weren't really sure why. They would try and talk about it, but it would only result in another fight for no good reason.

Good news was; they both understood that the new life would bring problems - problems they were willing to face together. They really loved each other - Dick saw that - and the stupid fights wouldn't get between them.

Bad news was, Wally and Artemis had a fight right before they left for their respective missions, and Artemis was feeling bad about their most recent fight - actually, about _everything_ they'd been fighting over. And whenever she got like this, it reflected in her performance.

The fact that she ran into the pole wasn't just a mistake anyone could make. Artemis doesn't make mistakes that like. She only does so when she and Wally are in the midst of a 'rough patch'. Dick didn't want to say anything about her 'mistake' (and knew she'd punch him if he did). He also knows better than to ask about their problems (as it would result in another punch from the blonde).

Dick adjusted the ice-pack on her scalp. As he did, a small drop of icy water dripped from the ice-pack down to the top of her green mask were the bulk of the drop got absorbed into the fabric. While it dripped, he watched it - hypnotized by it's motion. When it landed on the mask, Dick started to debate on whether or not he should wipe away the residue. He didn't know why, but he then started to wonder if that would be pushing the boundaries of their 'touch barrier'. He didn't understand why he was thinking like that, as Artemis and Dick had always been the closest of friends. In any other circumstance, he wouldn't hesitate.

But, then again, he already had his hand placed on her head. _But,_ his inner turmoil remained in his mind as he figured the ice-pack divided the actual connection of skin.

Dick didn't know why he was making such a big deal out of touching his friend in such a way, or why the stream of water bothered him so much. If you asked him, he wouldn't be able to count how many times he had made physical contact with Artemis during their training sessions, missions, or just when they hung out as friends.

If he limited the occasions to _just_ training and missions, Dick would then be able to create a whole category for how many times he had touched her suggestively.

Perhaps he would grab her bottom for more leverage as he would toss her for 'Maneuver 15'. Or maybe he would place his hand on her inner, upper thigh to flip her over in training. Don't even get him started on how many times his face was pushed right into her chest on a mission (that happened a lot when he was shorter than her). It was the same story for every guy and every girl on the team. Not to mention, they've made contact in every consistency. Sweaty, dry, damp, hot, cold, clammy, goose-bumpy - every texture the skin can experience, Dick knew what it was like on Artemis.

However, in this moment, there was just something about the way the aura from the TV is lit up her face in the dark setting of the room. Something about the way everything was so still and quiet (a rare luxury for them). Dick was scared to admit it, but it was almost romantic. He got even more scared to think of how Wally would react if he could read minds from the Congo.

"Dick?" asked Artemis softly.

Dick's trance broke from the drop of cold water as his mind snapped backed into his current situation. When he faced her, Artemis was looking at him in a way that aloud for curiosity to shine out through her eyes. Dick couldn't guess why, but frankly, he wasn't thinking about that.

Dick was trying to analyze the way she had spoke to him. She had spoken so softly. It was a rare occurrence for Artemis to talk like that, especially to him. He didn't deny that Wally had probably heard that tone of voice from Artemis more often than not in private moments. That tone of voice made Dick sound nervous as he replied "Yeah?"

Artemis bit her lip which caused Dick to desperately try to ignore the goosebumps grew on his body at the sight. "Nothing," she said after a while. "I'm still trying to get used to calling you that," she giggled.

Dick gently smiled at the blonde. He had just recently told Artemis his secret identity and prided himself on it. Over the past three years, they had become so close that Dick found it hard to keep his identity a secret from her any longer. When he told her, he was expecting a punch in the face, but all her received was a cock of the eyebrow. Apparently, she had figured it out all of herself. She had told him it wasn't hard - she had enough 'Shadow' training from her father to piece these things together. All the times she trolled her at school only added to her case. Dick had grinned at her, and gave her a bear hug instead of getting angry. When he asked her why she didn't unmask him earlier, she only said; 'I wanted you to be ready to tell me,' he had hugged her tighter and said 'Thanks,'. She didn't reply, she just held him closer.

From then on, every time she said his name, Dick felt and jolt of electricity shoot through his whole body. It's one of his deep, dark, secret, guilty pleasures that confuses him. He loves and craves the feeling, but is scared to tell anyone about it. He doesn't want Wally to know that his girlfriend excites another boy just by saying his name.

* * *

Suddenly, worry filled Artemis' eyes as she looked back up at Dick. "Do you think that Wally and me retiring is a good idea?" she blurted out - a small tone of panic filled her voice.

Dick sat still, not wanting to speak. He could never tell Artemis or Wally that he didn't want them to leave - he figured that it would just make things harder on them.

"Do you and Wally think it's a good idea?" asked Dick, trying to keep his head above water. Although, after he asked her, he startled to feel guilty, as though he was going behind Wally's back and couldn't figure out why.

Artemis shrugged her shoulders slowly. "I think we both _think_ it's a good idea. But we're both worried that it isn't. And every time we talk about it, we're both on different sides of the idea... and-and," while she tried to speak, she began to whimper, and therefore stopped speaking to let out light little sobs. Dick bites his lip as he watches her break.

Only three people can say that they've seen Artemis cry.

Paula: The day she was paralyzed.

Jade: A day when their father had sent them through a particularly physically and emotionally difficult training circuit.

Dick: Right now.

Needless to say, Artemis doesn't cry over small things. Only when she knew that her whole life was in the midst of changing.

Artemis' life could change forever from this point onward. It's easy for most people to stop being a hero, but not Artemis. Not since she felts that she must right the wrongs her whole family has done on society. Even though it's been a few years, she felt nowhere near done. She can't even bring herself to feel noble about giving up on protecting people - turning her back on hundreds of people she could prevent her sister and father from killing. It didn't help that this idea of leaving caused a lot of arguments between her and the one she loves.

Maybe her reason for crying wasn't as big as it should be. But it sure felt like it. And she wasn't crying too much, just enough for Dick to notice.

"Hey," said Dick comfortingly, "everything will work out," he doubtfully assured. He doesn't know if it will work out, he felt as though she needed to be lied to.

She looked at him with hope now spreading in her eyes. One last tear dripped from her eye lid. "Really?" she asked in a way that begged for a positive answer.

So, Dick gave one to her. "Yeah," he replies.

He used his free thumb to wipe away the tear that feel from her eye. But when he finished, he didn't remove his hand from her face. One hand was on her cheek, and the other was still holding the ice-pack against her head. They were stuck there. Looking at each other. Neither of them knew what the look meant or how it came on, but they couldn't stop looking at the other. The ice-pack had melted, but neither of them moved it.

Then, ever so slowly, Artemis reached out toward Dick's face. She stopped a couple of times on the way to retracted her hand - hesitant in completing her unknown mission. Eventually, her hand reached the corner of his mask.

Dick's heart is moved at a hundred miles-per-hour. He didn't know what she was doing, what she intended to do, or what he should do about it. But, strangely enough, he wanted it (what ever _it_ was). So, he didn't protest (or even move) as she grabbed onto the fabric of his mask. He just kept his eyes on her own questioning ones.

Ever so carefully, Artemis peeled the mask off his face, exposing his brilliant blue eyes. She placed the mask on the coffee table adjacent to them, not taking her eyes off of him as she did so. Dick bravely stares back into Artemis' dark eyes. They seem to be asking him 'So what now?' He's thinking that same thing.

Suddenly, ever feeling Dick had ever felt about Artemis - every emotion, every memory, every fantasy - came swarming back into his head.

He remembered when she first joined the team; he was bewitched by her strength, free spirit, and independence. He remembered seeing her at Gotham Academy; how it made his days a little bit better when he would mess with her. He remembered there battle against the Red's; how she was able to save the whole team and 'get traught'. He remembered watching her die in their training exercise; how it destroyed him to watch her dematerialize in front of him, and how he had to painfully get over it. He remembered when he learned about her past; how shocked and fearful her was. But then, he quickly realized that she wasn't her family - that she cared about her team and justice. And loved watching her overcome her past - gaining more strength to the mass amount she already had. He also prided himself on the fact that he was the only one who knew, and was the first to accept it.

In the past, whenever he had those feelings, he brushed them off. He figured that it was just some childhood crush. But it never went away. Even after all the times he had watched Wally and Artemis kiss.

Then, it hit Dick that after all this time, he loved her.

He was so surprised that it took him this long to figure it out, and a little angry that he didn't do anything about it.

So, acting on a deep impulse that kept itself hidden for so many years, Dick leaned in and kissed her.

Artemis didn't protest. Instead, she closed her eyes and indulged herself in the small, gentle kiss. She felt a sense of euphoria and ecstasy zap through her nerve system like a blot of lighting. She felt the excitement of a first kiss, and the buzz that comes along with it. She needed this, after all of the troubles seen in her upcoming future, and - to a degree - in her relationship, she needed to feel something other than regret, worry, anger, and sadness. And, she wanted more.

Artemis used her lips to make the kiss deeper, more passionate - Dick followed suit. When she felt Dick was comfortable with the situation, she slowly plunged her tongue into his mouth - Dick mimicked her actions.

They both lightly tasted the familiar flavor of blood in each other's mouth - like a rusted metal. It is a taste that they are all to familiar with and hardly noticed. The taste in question also exhilarated them. It was the taste of action, danger, the taste of a hero.

As their tongues dig as deep as they can, into the other's mouth, Artemis used her hands to claw forward, gently pushing Dick down onto his back. Placing one knee on each side of his obliques again, she straddled her self over him. She curved her spin so that her whole body weight isn't on him, but the center of gravity in her head pulled her lips down onto his further. When she was stable, she cupped her hands around Dick's face to pull him in closer.

Dick used one of his hand to rub up and down her bare back - feeling every inch of her exposed skin - and used his other hand to release her hair from it's captive elastic. Her blonde hair spilled over her face, and trapped both of them in a golden curtain. Once he has disregarded the elastic, he runs his hand through her hair. As he did so, he realized that it was something he had always wanted to do but never acted on, now, he figured it would take the end of the world to make him stop.

They broke for a moment to catch their breath and re-adjust their head positioning.

Dick used the time to say her name as he realized he'd always wanted to; "Artemis," he whispered in a deep voice.

Before their lips touched again, Artemis' eyes grew wide, and she pulled back her head as fast as she could. She slapped both her hands over her mouth, and looked at Dick with a shocked gaze.

Wally says her name like that when they kiss - when they share a moment like that. Wally, her _boyfriend_.

Dick came to the realization of what they've just done after Artemis pulled herself away. He didn't say anything, just laid still and tried not to move. He just betray his best friend.

Artemis slowly dismounted herself from Dick's torso and charged toward the direction of the zeta tubes. Her hands pressed on her lips and refusing to de-attach themselves. They act as though they're hiding evidence of her recent kiss with her boyfriends best friend.

Dick kept his eyes glued to the vacant space that had been previously been occupied by Artemis. He keeps his eyes there as he see the flash of white light from the zeta.

_Recognize: Artemis - Bee Zero Seven_

Dick jolted up and rubbed his eyes. He was perfectly aware of what was happening both before and during the kiss, but he couldn't believe that it happened. If Wally ever found out, he'd hate them both. When his eyes began to feel sore from the manipulations from his fingers, he placed his mask back on. He just needed to be alone right now - to think the whole thing over.

_Recognize: Zatanna - Two Five, Aqualad - Bee Zero Two, Kid Flash - Bee Zero Three, Superboy - Bee Zero Four, Miss. Martian - Bee Zero Five, Rocket - Bee Zero Nine, Batgirl - Bee One Six, Beastboy - Bee One Nine_

"Fucking Perfect," he whispered to himself.

"That was _so_ cool!" cheered Garth as he scampered out of the zeta entrance. Conner, M'gann, Wally, Barbara, Zatanna, Raquel, and Kaldur all follow suit. The older members looked exhausted, but Garth couldn't be more energetic. "Nightwing!" called the green boy as he spotted his elder "That was the Best. Mission. Ever! Look! I even got a souvenir!"

Garth waved the object behind Dick's head, but the older boy didn't turn around.

Shrugging, Garth sprinted in the direction of the trophy room while the older members filed into the kitchen.

"Are you okay, Robin?"

Dick turned at the sudden sound of a deep voice from above him. He turned to see Kaldur standing behind him, giving him a concerned look. Dick blinked behind his mask - everything seemed wrong to him at the moment, but he wasn't about to spill all of his problems to Kaldur, especially since they involved another teammate.

So Kaldur nodded and said; "Yeah. Just tired,"

Kaldur shrugged and followed the majority of the older members of the team into the kitchen. "How was your patrol with Artemis?" asked M'gann from the fridge.

Dick blinked again. He hated lying to his teammates, but he couldn't tell them the truth, not when the issues didn't make any sense to him. "Uneventful," he lied.

He turned back to the television and stared at the static. He knew he had to leave - get out of there. But he felt like he was stuck to his seat. It was as if the guilt he felt was weighing him down.

"Hey buddy!" called Wally fro them kitchen. In his hand is a bag of chips, half of which are in his mouth. Dick closed his eyes at the sound of his best friends voice. Wally's presence made it so much more easier on Dick to wallow in his guilt.

The speedster flopped down on the coach beside him, snatched the remote from the coffee table, and replaced it with his feet - acting as how he usually did after a mission.

Dick kept his face forward, not even wanting to look at Wally. He felt as though he had been attacked my Clayface; dirty, gross, and just plain awful. He wanted to give Wally a bear-hug and beg for his forgiveness, but knew he couldn't without having to explain it to Wally.

Wally flipped the channel to some old movie, and relaxed into the couch. After a brief moment, he straightened up from the couch and glanced about the common room. "Where's Artemis?" he asked.

Dick bit his lip to keep from blurting out the truth. "She was tired, so she went home," he responded. Dick took some pleasure in the fact that it wasn't a total lie, but still felt awful. "She really needs her rest," he added when he saw Wally begin to stand from the couch in the corner of his eye.

Wally shrugged and got comfortable in his seat again. "Alright. I'll call her tomorrow,"

Dick glanced over at the redhead. He felt even worse since Wally _didn't_ question him. Was Wally really _that_ trusting of his friend to take his word? Not only that, he didn't even protest when Dick said it might not be a good idea to see her. He wants her to feel as best she can, like a good and trusting boyfriend would.

"I'm going home," announced Dick when he finally found it in him to stand from the couch. A few 'good nights' were mumbled from the common area and the kitchen as the remaining members of the team acknowledging his departure. He walked slowly to the zeta tube as to not arouse suspicion, and couldn't be more thankful for the blinding light.

_Recognize: Robin - Bee Zero One_

When Dick got home, he ran into his room, slammed the door behind him, and took a seat on his bed. Letting out a groan, he flopped onto his back and stared straight up at the celling.

He began to think of M'gann and Conner. The two _were_ just as close as Wally and Artemis _are_, but they were the first to split. Dick always wondered why. They were into all that 'lovey-dovey' couple crap that made them look as though they would last forever. But, a few years and they broke up for reasons unknown to the Boy Wonder.

Yet, Dick took note in that fact that they always looked at each other longingly when the other had their back turned. They both seemed to still want the other, but neither would acknowledge that feeling.

On the other hand, when he and Zatanna dated, it ended mutually and without any hurt feelings. They had lost interest in the other - simple as that - and felt as though it wouldn't work out. They were friends now, no harm done. But Wally and Artemis were more like Conner and M'gann. If they broke up, they would both be crushed.

Dick knew how much Wally and Artemis cared for each other, and how he would feel more than guilty if he was the reason they broke up. He can't destroy their feelings for each other like that - even though it breaks his own heart to see them together.

Dick concluded that what happened tonight should just be one of those hiccups. Although, the feeling of her lips still tingle on his.

Artemis didn't take her hands off her lips until she was safely locked in her bedroom. When she knew she was in complete solitude, she crossed her arms over he chest and began to whimper out the tears that had started at the cave.

She was so confused. She had never thought of Dick as more than a friend, and that's all he ever was.

He was the only member of the team who she could train with, and feel challenged. He was the first member of the team to accept her for who she was. He was the one who told her to 'Get traught, or get dead.' He was her partner in the motto: No powers, problem. He was the one that she could joke around with in any form, and it wouldn't be taken seriously by the other. They'd throw pick-up lines at each other with no intention other than to make the other laugh.

"What happened?" she whispered to herself quietly in the darkness and safety of her own room. But she knew the answer: Wally happened.

She had been sad and vulnerable. Two traits she always avoided, so she didn't know how to handle them. So kissing another guy was really no surprise in her situation. Having no control around Dick, however, was a whole other issues entirely. She wondered if Dick had actually liked her this whole time, or if he had just been taking advantage of her in her weak state (although, she knew that he would _never_ do that). But the most troubling question she asked herself was if he liked Dick back.

Not knowing any of the answers (or even willing to try and contemplate them), Artemis fell on her side and drifted to sleep, hoping to escape to another plan of existence where her life made some sort of sense

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******I hoped you liked it! REVIEW!**


	3. Somebody that I Used to Know

**Thanks to all who have supported me through my little rough patch. Even those who didn't, I'm glad you weren't as rude and pathetic as those who were. Here's the next part. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Title: **Somebody that I Used to Know (Inspired by the song by Gotye)

**Characters:** Zatanna Zatara (Zatanna)/Richard Grayson (Nightwing)/Barbara Gordon (Batgirl)

**Story: **Set just before the satellite launch, Dick asks Zatanna for a huge and curious favor. While Zatanna is annoyed that Dick won't tell her why, she is also upset by Dick's new relationship with Babs. What she doesn't know is that Dick has been reconsidering his feelings for her as well.

* * *

"I just don't understand why you can't _tell_ me," said Zatanna, elongating the word 'tell'. "It's a pretty big favor to just _make _this thing. Now you're asking me to _not _ask questions _and_ not tell anyone?"

Stringing the golden jewel onto the thin black string, Zatanna gave the charm a little tug to make sure it was secure. Once she confirmed the stability of the necklace, she carefully handed it over to Dick, who took it gently from her white gloved hands into his black ones.

"I told you, Z," he said, the gentle sound of annoyance rang in his voice, "it's for a confidential mission. It's an 'action first, talk later' thing. Besides," he paused and lifted his eyes from the charm to look at her "Don't you trust me?"

Zatanna narrowed her eyes at the smirk on his face. She was pissed at him for two reasons. The former being him asking for a 'physio morphing' charm without telling her who or what it was for, and the latter being Dick just being a dick. "Of course I trust you, idiot," she snapped, placing her hands on her hips "I have to,"

Dick shrugged and went back to examining the charm Zatanna had given him. He gave it a shake and held it up to the light. Zatanna gave him a dramatic eye-roll and crossed her arms over her chest "Are you seriously checking if it's 'legit'?" she interrogated. "It's magic - you saw me make it!"

Dick looked at her defensively "Sorry. I've just been stressed with the satellite take-off,"

Zatanna sighed, but maintained her glare. All of the heroes of earth were stressed about the satellite. A number of things could go wrong, and with the power-houses of the League off earth, tension was high.

"So, how does it work?" asked Dick, giving the charm a puzzled look.

Zatanna groaned. She had already explained it to him three times, and wasn't looking to explain it to him a forth. "Basically, it will change the appearance of the wearer to all of those who don't see them put it on. Whoever _does_ see the wearer put it on will see the wearer in their natural form."

Dick nodded "And how drastic is the change?"

"Drastic enough so that no one else would recognize them - other than the people who were present when the wearer put it on," shrugged Zatanna.

Dick gave another confirming nod and gathered the charm and attached string into his hand. He then delicately tucked the charm into one of the pouches of his utility belt.

Zatanna watch him as he handled the charm she had made him. This was the longest amount of time they had spent alone since their break-up. Sure, they had spent a lot more time together, but that was in the company of other people.

Whenever they were alone, they were civil enough just to avoid speaking harshly to the other. They often tried to avoid conversation, and tried to keep it light when they had to speak.

However, it was now harder than ever for Zatanna to try and be civil to him. It really bothered her that Dick would just ask for something so specific and not explain to her why. She didn't show her anger as they were basically teammates and should always help each other out. She didn't want to blame it on their break-up, because it was mutual with no hurt feelings. So why was it bothering her so much?

There was only one possible reasons, and Zatanna didn't want to admit it to herself.

"So... you and Batgirl, huh?"

Dick froze in his task of handling the charm. He and Barbara were in the beginning stages of a relationship - the first one he had since his break-up with Zatanna. The thing was, he hadn't talked about it was Zatanna, and was secretly dreading the awkwardness.

"Yeah," he mumbled quietly.

"Isn't it kind of weird? I mean both of you are a part of the 'Bat-fam'," she said, make air quotations around 'Bat-fam', "I don't know, isn't it like Bat-cest?"

Dick looked up from his utility belt, and shot her a displeased look. He saw her giving him a mischievous smile back. "Not funny,"

"I'm joking, lighten-up a bit," she said giggling to herself. Dick just maintain his expression at her. "Fine, I'm sorry," she said sarcastically.

He gave her an angry half smile, and tuned on his heel to the Watch Tower's zeta entrances.

Zatanna chewed her lip. She didn't really want to sound spiteful, but it had come out that way. "Tell Artemis I say 'hi' when you see her!" she called after him,"

He only nodded and he powered-up the zeta-tube. Stepping in, he gave her one last look "Sure it's going to work?"

Zatanna grinned and cocked her eyebrow "Don't you trust me?"

_Recognize: Nightwing - Bee Zero One_

Dick gave her a nice smile as the light started to engulf him. "Always,"

A flash of light later, and he was gone.

Zatanna smiled. Then dropped the corners of her mouth and sighed. She'd be lying if she said she still didn't have feelings for Dick. But there wasn't much she could do about it now.

* * *

In the brief seconds Dick had before he materialized at his next location, he sighed to himself. He'd be lying if he said he still didn't have feelings for Zatanna. But there wasn't much he could do about it now.

* * *

Dick and Barbara sat silently in the cave at the kitchen table. Both were having some dinner, and looking over blueprints of the launch-pad for the satellite. Dick more so than Barbara - she had mostly been watching his every move since he walked into the cave. He was quieter then usual, and Barbara only had one guess as to why.

"You said you were at the Watch Tower today?" Dick just nodded without looking up from the blueprints. "What for?"

"Prep for the launch," he said with a shrug, still looking over the blueprints.

"Alright," said Barbara. She bit her lip, hesitant to say what was on her mind. "See Zatanna while you were up there?"

She never wanted to be the 'jealous girlfriend' stereotype, but Dick was always quiet and (for lack of a better term) cold whenever he had comeback from seeing her.

Dick immediately looked up from the blueprints. "Yeah, why?"

"No good reason... did you talk to her?"

"Would it matter if I did?"

"No-"

"Than why are you asking?"

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"Whatever,"

Dick went back to looking at the blueprints. Barbara bit her lip again and went back to eating. She was aware of Dick and Zatanna's old romance, and wasn't usually bothered by it. In fact, she and Zatanna were friends.

But every time Zatanna and Dick were alone, he would always act dismissive afterwards. She knew that people probably still harbor some emotions for their old flames, but she didn't appreciate the hostility that Dick produced towards her, making it seem as though she was making a big deal out of nothing. She didn't hate him for it, but it was still annoying.

* * *

**Disclaimer****: I'll take Chalant ANYDAY! This is more or less written to explain my thoughts on DickxBabs (if anyone cared).**

**As always, REVIEW!**


	4. Don't Forget Me

**Title: **Don't Forget Me (Inspired by the song by Red Hot Chili Peppers)

**Characters:** Raquel Evens (Rocket)/Kaldur'ahm (Aqualad)

**Story: **Set just after Artemis' death, Raquel reflects on the feelings she once had (or still might have[?]) for Kaldur.

* * *

There was something about the middle Sahara desert that was just so peaceful.

It was quiet, undisturbed, plain but exotic - Raquel had never released it's true beauty until she had first seen it on a mission with the team right after the New Years incident five years ago.

At the time, it had just been a place, but now, after everything that happened, it seemed like the perfect one.

As she sat with her knees tucked closely into her chest, she reached out beside her and scoped up a fist full of sand. She felt the sand as best she could through her glove, then dumped it back onto the desert floor.

A sound transmission came on in her ear-piece: "Honey? Where are you?" said the voice that belonged to her fiancée.

She turned off her earpiece without a second thought - all of her thoughts are elsewhere.

She didn't panic - He would just contact the League and they would find her in a heartbeat. Significant others were given a special communicator that alerted the League when something was off.

So she returned to the soul thing that had been occupying her mind since she heard the news hours ago; Artemis was gone, and it was Aqualad's fault.

No, not Aqualad's - Kaldur's.

The Aqualad that she knew would have drowned himself for even thinking about killing one of his friends - anyone for that matter. Kaldur wasn't Aqualad anymore. Aqualad died with Aquagirl. She had lost two friends and teammates of hers that day, and today, another name was added to that list.

She buried her face into her arms. While there wasn't anyone around for miles, she cried softly, trying to hold back the scream of agony. She didn't want to disturb the peace of the desert.

Raquel was in Dakota City for a 'Hero Honoring' when she heard the news.

There she was - on stage in a giant banquet hall. The mayor had just handed her a medal from the city and asked the room to take their seats - he had received word from his assistant who had been on her phone for the duration for the ceremony.

"Oh, I here the satellite is just launching now! Could we pull the live footage on the overhead screens please?"

The explosion shocked everyone.

Raquel leapt out of her seat and dashed for the exit without a word or an explanation.

"Nightwing! Come in Nightwing! I just saw the explosion, is everything-"

"Artemis,…"

Raquel stopped dead in her tracks. By the way he whispered her name, she knew something was off. "Artemis? Wha-"

"She's… dead… Aqualad-"

And with that, she shot into the sky and flew at record-breaking speeds for the launch pad.

She landed to find M'gann collapsed into Conner's arms weeping uncontrollably. Nightwing was on the ground and hunched over the corpse.

Raquel approached the body slowly - still trying to get over the initial shock. She was in such a state that she found herself waiting for Artemis to sit up and yell 'Surprise!' then they would laugh and forget about the whole thing.

But the blonde never did.

Raquel knelt down next to the archer's head. Such an eerily rare thing to see Artemis so still. Bending slightly, Raquel placed a kiss on Artemis' forehead - a rogue tear dripping off her nose and onto the face of the fallen archer where it then trickled off to the side.

Scanning her body, Raquel spotted the stab wound. It was true - Kaldur had killed her.

She shot into the sky and flew - flew past her capacity and rage, but made it to her destination somehow off of pure adrenaline. Her mind had been spinning for the whole journey, and tears dripped from her eyes and out into the sky behind her. She didn't know what had possessed her to do such a thing, but she needed to get as far away as possible from… just everything.

When she had landed is when she had shrieked cries of pain into the night sky. Pure sadness in her heart, head, and soul. Nothing else but the fact that Artemis was dead mattered. After 30 minutes of that, she seated herself comfortably in the sand and tried to console herself. It was then that everything hit her.

That fact that it was Kaldur who killed her.

The fact that, even years later she still had deep feelings for him.

… The fact that she could forgive him.

She _hated_ herself for that. What he did was inexcusable, unforgivable, all of the above and more. And she just _forgives_ him?

"I'm getting married," she whispered to herself in reassurance "To a man I _love_. And he _killed_ Artemis - you _best friend_!" whipping her eyes, she locked her eyes in the horizon. The sun was starting to come up. "I don't love him."

"_Sure you don't_," said a voice in her head that sounded a lot like Kaldur's.

"Shut-up!" she said aloud. She hated when he psyche played tricks on her.

"_Admit it. You still have feelings for me_," chuckled the voice.

Of course, it was all in Raquel's head. She was controlling what the voice said and who it sounded like. Besides, Kaldur would never speak like that. He used sarcasm on the rarest of occasions, and would never be so rude - not even after going dark side. Sure, he came up with a few catch-phrases - all villains do - but he was more blunt than snarky.

"You don't love him!" she repeated out loud.

But even she couldn't make herself believe it.

After she had kissed Kaldur on New Years all those years ago, the awkwardly went their separate ways. He didn't want to get involved in a relationship, and she didn't care - it was just a friendly kiss.

But, as they fought alongside each other for two more years, things changed for Raquel.

To her, Kaldur was a mystery wrapped in a contradiction. He was strong, but soft. A leader, but a team-player, aggressive, yet sweet. And dark secrets were buried deep within him like sunken treasures Raquel only dreamed of finding.

Of course, things changed again when Tula joined the team. It was then that Raquel finally understood the only bit of angst that Kaldur had in his system. He loved Tula, it was easy to see. But he couldn't act on it, and that killed him. Raquel could tell, everyone could. The worst part was; _she_ couldn't act on it. She wouldn't dare try to avert his eyes - not only would it might hurt her in the long run, _he_ might get hurt. And, when Tula died, Raquel found herself guiltily mourning more for Kaldur than for Tula. She knew he would never be 'right' after it, and that hurt her.

Of course, she could never imagine what happened to him after.

Black Manta being his father obviously threw him over the edge, but what surprised her was his change. He donned the black armor and did a 180 personality change.

Now this?

Why did she love him so much? She asked herself that question everyday. Sure, it would fade in and out. She'd almost completely forget about him when she was with her husband-to-be. But sometimes, when was alone in a quiet space for too long, when she messed up during a mission, or for any reason, her mind would drift to him. And, like a pubescent teenager, she pictured what their lives would have been like together.

Artemis was gone. She shouldn't be feeling so conflicted. She should be swearing a vendetta on her killer.

Artemis - strong, amazing, best friend. Only a few words could describe her accurately. She had been ripped away from Raquel along with a piece of her heart. It killed her a hundred times over to know that Artemis had been brutally murdered on a mission. And by Kaldur nonetheless.

"I hate him." muttered Raquel through forming tears.

"_No you don't,_"

"Fuck. Off!" she thought. "You never had feelings for me!"

"_How do you know for sure?_"

Raquel ran her fingers through her hair and started pulling at it. Why couldn't she just kick him out of her head? Why did he reside in her mind?

"If I see you again, I'll kill you."

She could see him smiling "_I'll be waiting_."

"Tropsnart su ot Leuqar!" said a voice in the distance. Raquel recognized it right away.

A split second later, Zatanna appeared before her - he hand intertwined with Raquel's fiancée's hand. When the pair spotted Raquel, the ran to her side. Zatanna collapsed onto Raquel's shoulder - crying harder then Raquel thought possible for the small brunette. Raquel shared her tears and they wept together in the sand wasteland.

"Raquel-" Raquel turned to see her fiancée sitting on her other side. He embraced her without a word.

Raquel felt guilty. Another man had been occupying her mind for the past few hours, and a small part of her wished that he was the one holding her. But the feeling was doused by her pure will to beat the shit out of him.

"C'mon. We should get back," said her fiancée, trying to help the girls onto their feet.

He was being too nice for what Raquel deserved.

Taking Zatanna's hand, Raquel gathered herself quickly and prepared for the transport.

However, right before she disappeared, she saw something. A tall man in dark amour waving to her with a wicked grin on his face - Kaldur.

Knowing that she had been in the heat for the last few hours, Raquel knew it was just a hallucination. Still, that image froze itself in Raquel's mind - even when they materialized in the Watchtower.

Now, when Raquel tells herself "I can't forget him," her mind is saying "I still love him,"

And her mental image of him agrees

* * *

**I like the idea of Raquel and Kaldur. I DON'T like how they were just thrown together at the end of season 1, and were together for the sake of being together. Also, I know that Kaldur isn't like this AT ALL, but it's how she _thinks_ he is. **

**Hope you liked it! REVIEW!**

**p.s - I strongly encourage you guys to listen to the songs that coincide with the chapters. I really think they add to them.**


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